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one of the basic poses in ballet, arabesque takes its name from a form of Moorish ornament. In ballet it is a position of the body, in profile, supported on one leg, which can be straight or demi-plié, with the other leg extended behind and at right angles to it, and the arms held in various harmonious positions creating the longest possible line from the fingertips to the toes. The shoulders must be held square to the line of direction. The forms of arabesque are varied to infinity. The Cecchetti method uses five principal arabesques; the Russian School (Vaganova), four; and the French School, two. Arabesques are generally used to conclude a phrase of steps, both in the slow movements of adagio and the brisk, gay movements of allégro

(French f.) an arabesque performed with the leg on which the body is supported bent instead of straight

Arabesque penchée

(French f.) an arabesque performed with the body bent forwards instead of vertical

Arabia

(English, Spanish f.) or Arabian Peninsula, a peninsula of southwest Asia between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf

Arabian bird, The

the phoenix, from which, 'a marvellous or unique person'

Arabian Nights Entertainments, The

or 'One Thousand and One Nights', a series of stories told nightly by Scheherazade, bride of Sultan Shahryah, to stave off her execution. The collection of stories was collected over thousands of years by various authors, translators and scholars in various countries. These collections of tales trace their roots back to ancient Arabia and Yemen, ancient India, ancient Asia Minor, ancient Persia, ancient Egypt, ancient Mesopotamian Mythology, ancient Syria, and medieval Arabic folk stories from the Caliphate era. Though an original manuscript has never been found, several versions date the collection's genesis to somewhere between AD 800-900

during the polytheistic, pre-Islamic tribal period that Arabs call the jâhiliyah, there were two kinds of music: nomadic, a rudimentary, rhythmic style called huda, sung by Bedouin camel drivers; and sedentary, a virtuosic style performed by female slaves called qiyân (singular: qayna). These singing, wine-pouring courtesans had long been a fixture in the Mediterranean world. They were common in the households of the wealthy, but more of them worked for hire, entertaining passing customers all across the Arabian peninsula during the jâhiliyah, and especially in the slave-market cities, most prominently Medina. The poetic singing of the jâhiliyah functioned as both history and sorcery. These recitations, writes Zoltán Falvy, "became the literary language of Arabic, to which the Koran gave its authority when Islam was founded". Already from this pre-Islamic period of Arabic poetry, there are references to competitions in verse between dueling poets

strictly speaking, there is no such thing as "Islamic music". Tajwid, or the rhythmic chanting of the Koran, is not considered music by Muslims, though to a non-Muslim ear it sounds musical. There is no direct prohibition of, or endorsement of, music in the Koran. But there have consistently been various orthodox Muslim opinions against music as a forbidden pleasure, which in their severe forms constitute the most anti-musical posture in world history

there was, however, much music in the Muslim world, and there was a highly developed aesthetic awareness of music as an art form. The conquests of jihad brought under one banner a musical give-and-take that had already been going on for millennia in the eastern Mediterranean, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Arabia, held together by a theoretical framework that was essentially Greek. Along with music in the Muslim world there was much dancing

the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are so called because they were introduced into Europe by the Arabs, who brought them from India. Although familiar in Europe by the twelfth century, they did not generally supersede the Roman numberals (I, II, III, etc.) until the sixteenth century

Arabic scale

although there are many 'arabic' scale, this arabic scale (the scale most commonly given this name) is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale

the modern Arab tone system, or system of musical tuning, is based upon the theoretical division of the octave into twenty-four equal divisions or 24-tone equal temperament, the distance between each successive note being a quarter tone (50 cents). Each note has its own name not repeated in different octaves (lacking octave equivalency). The lowest note is named yakah and is determined by the lowest pitch in the range of the singer. The next higher octave is nawa and the second tuti. However, from these twenty-four notes seven are selected to produce a scale and thus the interval of a quarter tone is never used and the three-quarter tone or 'medium second' should be considered the characteristic interval

one of a pair of small related languages, Catalan and Aranese, both subdialects of Occitan

Aranesisch

(German n.) Aranese

Aranzini

(German n.) candied orange peel

Aräometer

(German n.) hydrometer, areometer (instruments used to measure the specific gravity, or relative density, of liquids)

Araq

(Arabic) arak, arrak

Ärar

(German n.) state property

arar

(Spanish) to plough

Arará

(Arará is derived from the Dahomean city of Allada) Dahomean ritual/ceremonial drums brought to the Oriente province of Cuba by the Haitian émigrés following the Haitian slave rebellion of 1791

the term, along with Rada (found in Haiti) and Arrada (on the tiny island of Carriacou in the Grenadines), is also applied to Dahomean styles of drumming. One characteristic of arará music is the use of hand clapping and body percussion

ärarisch

(German) belonging to the state

a ras

(Spanish) at the same level, level, flush

a ras de

(Spanish) level with, flush with

a ras de tierra

(Spanish) at ground level, on ground level

a rastra

(Spanish) unwillingly, reluctantly

a rastras

(Spanish) reluctantly, unwillingly, grudgingly

a ratos

(Spanish) from time to time, at times, occasionally, sometimes, at intervals, betweentimes, betweenwhiles, in snatches

a ratos perdidos

(Spanish) at odd moments, in idle moments, in (one's) spare time

Araucanian

or Mapuche, the indigenous inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile and Southern Argentina. They were known as Araucanians (Araucanos) by the Spaniards

Araucano (m.), Araucana (f.)

(Spanish) Araucanian

araucano (m.), araucana (f.)

(Spanish) Araucanian

a raudales

(Spanish) in great quantity, at full flow, in floods, in great quantities, in torrents

Araukaner

(German pl.) Araucanians, Araucanos

Araukarie

(German f.) monkey puzzle (tree) (Araucaria araucana)

Aravanamuttu

see duffmuttu

a raya

(Spanish) under strict control, at bay, in check

a rayas

(Spanish) with stripes, pinstripe, striped

a razón de

(Spanish) at the rate of

a razón de qué

(Spanish) why on earth, why

Arazzo

(Italian m.) tapestry

arb.

abbreviation of 'arbiter', 'arbitrary', arbitrator'

Arbalest

a crossbow with a steel box stave

Arbaleste

(German f.) arbalest

Arbalestenschütze

(German m.) arbalest

Arban Method

La grande méthode complète de cornet à piston et de saxhorn par Arban, a complete pedagogical method for students of trumpet, cornet, and other valved brass instruments. The original edition was published by Jean-Baptiste Arban in 1864 and it has never been out of print since. The Arban Method is considered by many to be "the brass bible" or "the trumpeter's bible"

a term used formerly for the melodic minor scale, which, unusually in Western musical scales, differs when descending from when ascending. When ascending the semitones (half-steps) lie between the second and third degrees and between the seventh and eighth degrees. However, when descending, the seventh and sixth degrees are flattened so that the scale is the same as a descending natural minor scale, and the semitones (half-steps) now lie between the sixth and fifth degrees and between the third and second degrees

Arbitration

(English, German f.) the hearing and determination of a dispute by an impartial referee agreed to by both parties

in Spanish, arca is a feminine noun taking the masculine article in the singular

Arcada

(Spanish f.) arcade, arches, retching (nausea)

Arcade

a series of arches supported by columns, piers, or pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to form a gallery

a series of arches employed for decorative purposes

a roofed passageway or lane, especially one with shops on one or both sides

a commercial establishment featuring rows of coin-operated games

on a keyboard, piece covering the front face of a key, below and perpendicular to the keytop, intended to cover the end-grain of the body of the key. Usually wood, but paper, bone, and other materials are also used. Non-structural but visible, therefore often highly decorated with moulding, carving, gilt, inlay, etc.

a card that is distributed through penny vending machines usually found at amusement arcades

Arca de la Alianza

(Spanish f.) Ark of the Covenant

in Spanish, arca is a feminine noun taking the masculine article in the singular

Arca de Noé

(Spanish f.) Noah's ark

in Spanish, arca is a feminine noun taking the masculine article in the singular

Arcades ambo

(Latin, a phrase from Virgil's seventh eclogue) (two people) having literary or aesthetic tastes in common

Arcade-Spiel

(German n.) arcade game

Arcadia

also Acadia or Arkadia, a mountainous area of Greece, named for Arcas the son of Jupiter. In Greek and Roman literature, a place where a contented life of rural simplicity is lived; an earthly paradise peopled by shepherds; rustic bliss

Arcadian

also Acadian or Arkadian, a descendant of the original French settlers and often Métis, of parts of Acadia (French: Acadie) in the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, Gaspé, in Québec, and parts of the American state of Maine. In the Great Upheaval of 1755, Acadians were uprooted by the British; some of these resettled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. War between the French and the British in their colonies and in Europe is an important element in the history of the Acadians. No other factor shaped the cultural evolution of Acadians in such a dominant way. A second historical element to affect development of the Acadians is a sense of abandonment by France. The last century has been marked by struggles by the Acadian people for equal language and cultural rights as a minority group in the Maritime provinces of Canada

feasts instituted by Dionysius, at which children, who had been instructed in the music of Philoxenus and Timotheus, appeared on stage where they celebrated the festivals of Bacchus, by entertaining the spectators with songs, dances and exhibitions of various kinds

arcaico (m.), arcaica (f.)

(Spanish) archaic

Arcaismo

(Spanish m.) archaism

Arcana

(Latin) secrets

(English) mysterious, secret

Arcane

requiring secret or mysterious knowledge, therefore known to only a few

(German m.) archaeopteryx (the oldest known bird, Archaeopteryx had feathers, scales on its neck and feet, teeth, and claws on all four limbs)

Archbishop

a bishop with authority over a group of territorially contiguous dioceses and their bishops; also known as a metropolitan

Archbp

abbreviation of 'Archbishop'

Archchanter

precentor

Archd.

abbreviation of 'Archdeacon', 'Archduke'

Archdeacon

a cleric having a defined administrative authority delegated to him by the bishop in the whole or part of the diocese

Archdeaconry

a sub-division of a diocese administered by an archdeacon, whose authority was delegated to him by the bishop

Arche

(French f.) arch

(German f.) ark

Archean

also Archaeozoic or Archeozoic, the time from 3,800 million years to 2,500 million years ago (earth's crust formed and unicellular organisms are earliest forms of life)

Archeggiamento

(Italian m.) the management of the bow when playing a stringed instrument

archeggiamento

(Italian) whipped (extended playing of a bowed string instrument where the strings are plucked rather than bowed), gepeitscht (German), fouetté (French)

archeggiare

(Italian) to draw the bow across the strings (of a violin, etc.), to arch

Arche Noah

(German f.) Noah's ark

Archeologia

(Italian f.) archaeology

Archéologie

(French f.) archeology

archéologique

(French) archeological

Archeologo

(Italian m.) archaeologist

Archéologue

(French m./f.) archeologist

Arches paper

a type of air-dried paper that is preferred amongst printers and watercolorists. It has a warm-white colour and can be found in hot-pressed, cold-pressed, and rough varieties. Arches paper is valued for its durability, and is still made today at the Arches paper mill in Lorraine, France

Archet

(French m.) bow, archetto (Italian), arco (Italian), Bogen (German)

the word may also be used to mean 'string' as in 'a single stringed instrument'

Archetto

(Italian m.) bow, arco (Italian), Bogen (German), archet (French)

the word may also be used to mean 'string' as in 'a single stringed instrument'

Archetyp (s.), Archetypen (pl.)

(German m.) archetype

Archetypal character

a recurring figure who transcends the particulars of time and place to take on a symbolic value with universal appeal

Archetypal criticism

the analysis of a piece of literature through the examination of archetypes and archetypal patterns in Jungian psychology

Archetype

(as defined by Carl Jung) an image, descriptive detail, plot pattern or a character type that occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion, or folklore, and is therefore believed to evoke profound emotions because it touches the unconscious memory and thus calls into play illogical but strong responses

(in more general use) the original pattern or model (also called the primal form) of which all things of the same type are representations or copies, a perfect example

sometimes used mistakenly as a synonym for 'Ur-text'

Archétype

(French m.) archetype

archetypisch

(German) archetypal, archetypical, archetypally

Archetypus

(German m.) archetype

Archevêque

(French m.) archbishop

Arch-form

a symmetrical musical structure such as ternary form, ABA

Archguitar (baroque)

Archguitar (modern)

a modern instrument designed by Peter Blanchette and Walter Stanul in 1980. Archguitars can have from 9 to 11 strings, giving them a much larger musical range than 6-string guitars

named for the Greek satyrical poet Archilocus (fl. seventh century BC), ill-natured satire or bitter mockery

Archilute

(French m.) archlute

Archiluth

(French m.) archlute

Archimandrit

(German m.) archimandrite

Archimandrite

(Eastern Orthodox Church) a cleric ranking below a bishop, the head of a monastery or a group of monasteries

Archimedes

(English, German from Greek) Greek mathematician and physicist noted for his work in hydrostatics and mechanics and geometry (287-212 BC)

Archimedes' screw

a flexible tube twisted spirally around an axis, originally as a means of irrigation. However, the carpenter's auger, a device to make holes in or through planks of wood, is of a similar construction

archimedisch

(German) Archimedian

archimedische Schnecke

(German f.) Archimedean screw

archimedische Schraube

(German f.) Archimedean screw, Archimedes' screw

Archimedische Schraubenpumpe

(German f.) Archimedean screw pump

Archimime

a chief buffoon or jester. Among the ancient Romans, archimimes were persons who imitated the manners, gestures, and speech both of the living and the deceased. At first, they were only employed in the theatre, but were afterwards admitted to their feasts, and at last to funerals. At funerals, archimimes walked behind the corpse, imitating the gestures and behaviors of the person being carried to the funeral pyre, as if they were still alive

Arching

Wölbung (German f.), voûte (French f.), bombatura (Italian f.)

the outward swell of the back and belly of a bowed string instrument (e.g. a violin)

Archiparaphonista

a name given formerly to the principal singer, or conductor of the choir, in the celebration of Mass in the Roman Catholic Church

Archipel

(German m.) archipelago

Archipel-

(German) archipelagic (prefix)

Archipelago

a group of many islands in a large body of water

Archiphone

a microtonal keyboard instrument: since 1970 four archiphones have been built by Herman van der Horst of the firm Neonvox in Wilp, Gelderland at the instigation of Anton de Beer. The keyboard layout is essentially the same as on the Fokker-organ. The keys are closer to one another, making more rapid playing possible. Transistor oscillators are the tone source. It has some 40 different timbres, equally divided between the 8- and 4-foot "stops". The instrument was introduced on 1 november 1970 at Teyler's Museum. Anton de Beer had quickly written a demonstration piece with all kinds of puns with higher harmonics and natural thirds and sevenths. One scene of Joel Mandelbaum's opera The Dybbuk was also performed with the archiphone accompanied by a vocal quartet and violin duo

a collection of records, and also refers to the location in which these records are kept. Archives are made up of records which have been created during the course of an individual or organization's life. In general an archive consists of records which have been selected for permanent or long-term preservation. Records, which may be in any media, are normally unpublished, unlike books and other publications. Archives may also be generated by large organizations such as corporations and governments. The highest level of organization of records in an archive is known as the fonds. Archives are distinct from libraries insofar as archives hold records which are unique. Archives can be described as holding information "by-products" of activities, while libraries hold specifically authored information "products". The word 'archives' is the correct terminology, whereas 'archive' as a noun or a verb is related to computer science

or 'arch-lute', a large lute popular both in Italy and England during the Renaissance with an elongated neck, fitted with two peg boxes, one to accomodate unstopped strings necessary to produce bass notes, the other to take the remainder of the 13 or 14 single or double courses of strings. In appearance the archlute resembles the theorbo and the chitarrone, but differs from them in that its body is smaller and that the first and second courscs are at lute pitch rather than an octave lower. This was possible because the stopped string length was shorter. Furthermore, the archlute's stopped strings were normally double-strung, while those of the theorbo were frequently single-strung

(English, German m. from Greek) the chief of the nine magistrates of Athens. The next in rank was called basileus and the third polemarch

a wealthy citizen who provided the financial backing for an ancient Greek drama festival (the precursor of the contemporary producer)

Archon, eponymous

see eponymous archon

Archont (s.), Archonten (pl.)

(German m.) archon

Archpriest

a minister assisting a bishop in the administration of a rural deanery, or subdivision of an archdeaconry; also known as a rural dean

archt.

abbreviation of 'architect'

Archtop-Gitarre

(German f.) archtop guitar

Archtop guitar

also 'jazz-box', 'hollow-body' or 'carved top', a term describing when a guitar which has been carved or shaped to enhance its sound or appearance and which usually has f-holes as found on members of the violin family, so named because the table of the guitar is arched rather than flat

an instrument invented by Nicolo Vicentino in the sixteenth century on which it was possible to play in all the genera, the diatonic, chromatic and enharmonic. Each of the six manuals divided an octave into 31 parts

(German f.) Battle of the Bulge, Battle of the Ardennes (16 December 1944-25 January 1945), a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes Mountains region of Belgium, France and Luxembourg on the Western Front

Ardenner Wald

(German m., more recent name) Ardennes

Ardennes

a wooded plateau in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France; the site of intense fighting in World War I and World War II

in solmisation the name of the note a, particularly the first space A in the bass clef

Are

(English, German f - Switzerland) a unit of surface area equivalent to 100 square metres

Área

(Spanish f.) area, hundred square metres

in Spanish, a feminine noun taking the masculine article in the singular

a reacción

(Spanish) jet-propelled

Área chica

(Spanish f.) goal area

Área de castigo

(Spanish f.) penalty area

Área de servicio

(Spanish f.) service area, services

Areal (s.), Areale (pl.)

(German n.) area

Areal

regional

areal

(German) regional

Arealtypologie

(German f.) areal typology

Areal typology

the study of the geographic distribution of linguistic features and the processes that give rise to the processes that give rise to it. A common view has been that mutual influence between languages concern primarily vocabulary and more exceptionally grammar. However, a major insight of areal typology is that grammatical structures spread easily across languages and that the typological profile of a language is largely predictable from its geographical location

a term derived from the native, indigenous tribes living in Cuba before colonisation, (such as the Siboney, Taíno and Guanajatabibe tribes), referring to elaborate religious celebrations of music, dance and theatre; a rhythmic style combining several elements of Cuban carnaval rhythms with the son and rumba, as well as several North American influences, resulting in a free-style, highly-syncopated style. The areíto later evolved into what is now known as songo

Arekanuss

(German f.) betel nut

Arekapalme

(German f.) pinang (palm) (Areca catechu), betel nut tree, betel palm

Arel

(German n.) also Arlon, Aarlen, a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Luxembourg, of which it is the capital

Arelat

(German) Arelate

Arelate

for a time beginning in AD 328, the Gallic city of Arles or Arelate was renamed Constantia in honor of the emperor Constantine II

areligiös

(German) areligious

Areligiosität

(German f.) irreligiosity

Areligious

or irreligious, a lack of religion, indifference to religion, or hostility to religion which, depending on the context, may be understood as referring to atheism, deism, agnosticism, skepticism, freethought, or secular humanism

also called 'theatre in the round', where the audience sits on all sides of the theatre stage

Arène

(French f.) arena, bullring

Arenga

(Spanish f.) harangue, impassioned speech

arengar

(Spanish) to harangue, to incite, to rouse (crowd), to rally, to exhort

a renglón seguido

(Spanish) immediately afterwards, immediately below, right after

Arenilla

(Spanish f.) fine sand (for example, as in an hourglass)

Arenisca

(Spanish f.) sandstone

arenisco (m.), arenisca (f.)

(Spanish) sandy

arenoso (m.), arenosa (f.)

(Spanish) sandy

Arenque

(Spanish m.) herring

Arenque ahumado

(Spanish m.) kipper

Areopag

(German m.) Areopagus

Areopagus

named for the "hill of Ares (Mars)" a spur of the Athenian Acropolis where Athene established a court for homicides, the highest judicial and legislative council of ancient Athens

Arepa

(Spanish f.) cornmeal roll

a repecho

(Spanish) uphill

a repelones

(Spanish) little by little

a requerimiento de

(Spanish) at the request of, by request of, upon petition of, at the behest of

Ares

(English, German m.) the god of war, son of Zeus and Hera, identified with the Roman Mars

a reserva de

(Spanish) except for, with the purpose of

a reserva de que

(Spanish) unless

a retaguardia

(Spanish) in the rear

Arete

(Spanish f. - Colombia, Mexico) earring

(Spanish f.) hoop

Arête

(French f.) (fish) bone, ridge (mountain)

the Greek term arête implies a humble and constant striving for perfection and self-improvement combined with a realistic awareness that such perfection cannot be reached. As long as an individual strives to do and be the best, that individual has arête. As soon as the individual believes he has actually achieved arête, however, he or she has lost that exalted state and fallen into hubris, unable to recognize personal limitations or the humble need to improve constantly

an umbrella term that comprises several distinct trends within the same tradition: the dance and music style known as cumbia in Argentina. Cumbia has been well-known and appreciated in Argentina for a long time, but it gained nationwide scope and attention when in the 1990s, it became popular in the large cities of the Río de la Plata basin

Argentina has a rich tradition of folkloric dance that include the tango, group dances such as the chacarera, gato and zamba, as well as the macho dances of the gauchos, the fiercely independent Argentine cowboys, which include malambos de boleadoras (tap dancing with whirling weapons)

Argentinean tango

argentinischer Tango (German m.) see 'tango'

Argentinien

(German n.) Argentina

Argentinier (m.), Argentinierin (f.)

(German) Argentinean, Argentine

argentinisch

(German) Argentinean, Argentinian, Argentine

argentinischer Tango

(German m.) Argentine tango

Argentinism

the use, by an Argentinian, of a word that is drawn from indigenous sources, for example, from lunfardo, in place of the correct Castilian one. It is one of the characteristics of tango lyrics, from where it spread to popular literature and Argentinian theatre

(German) to annoy, to tease, to worry, to rile, to irk, to spite, to exasperate, to peeve, to irritate, to vex, to huff, to bring trouble upon, to cause trouble, to provoke, to fret, to anger, to roil, to nettle (colloquial), to madden (make angry), to bug (colloquial), to aggravate (colloquial)

argul or arghool, a double reed instrument from North Africa with two asymmetrical pipes, one the chanter plays the melody and usually has 5 or 6 finger-holes while the second, the drone, is much longer, has no holes and produces only a single note. The instrument is played inside the player's mouth using circular breathing. Both pipes are made from reed or other similar materials and are attached together with strings, wax, tar or glue

knitted design of solid diamond blocks contrasted in a pattern, often used for socks and jumpers

Argyritae

the winners of Greek public competitions to whom medals of gold or silver were presented

Arheic

an area lacking surface runoff or drainage, such as deserts

arheisch

(German) arheic

Aria (s.), Arie (Italian pl.), Arias (English pl.)

(English, Spanish f., Swedish, Italian f.) music written for a solo voice with accompaniment, forming part of a larger work, as, for example, in an opera or cantata. The form is generally longer, non-strophic and with an accent of musical design and expression, than that corresponding to the air, song or Lied

in Spanish, aria is a feminine noun taking the masculine article in the singular

the aria first appeared in the fourteenth century, when it signified a manner or style of singer or playing

a melodic scheme (motif) or pattern for singing a poetic pattern, such as a sonnet

(Italian f.) an aria with an obbligato instrumental accompaniment which vies with the vocal line. Many occur in Bach cantatas

Aria concertata

(Italian f.) an aria with an elaborate orchestral accompaniment in a concertante style

Aria d'abilità

(Italian f.) an aria that requires much skill and ability on the part of the performer

Aria da capo

(Italian f.) a through-composed (non-strophic) ternary form (ABA) in which the beginning section is repeated after a contrasting middle section, a formal scheme first used by Monteverdi, although he did not give it this name

Aria da chiesa

(Italian f.) a church aria

Aria da concerto

(Italian f.) a concert aria

Aria d'agilita

(Italian f.) an aria that requires great command of the voice

Aria d'entrata

(Italian f.) an aria sung in an opera when the singer/character makes his or her first entrance

Aria di bravura

(Italian f.) an aria in a florid style designed to display the technical brilliance of the singer, a sub-specie of aria da capo

Aria di cantabile

(Italian f.) an aria that is both slow and smooth, a sub-specie of aria da capo

Aria di carattere

(Italian f.) an aria that is extremely passionate and with an elaborate orchestral accompaniment

Aria di portamento

(Italian f.) an aria written in long notes and dignified, to be sung with smooth progression from one note to the next

Aria di mezzo carattere

(Italian f.) an aria that is more passionate and with orchestral accompaniment, the latter being often elaborate

Aria di sorbetto

(Italian, literally 'sherbet aria') a convention of Italian opera in the early nineteenth century. Nineteenth-century audiences would rarely listen to an opera straight through, preferring instead to talk among themselves, eat, and drink for much of the performance. The aria di sorbetto would come fairly late in the second act of the opera, and it would afford vendors the chance to hawk their wares one last time before the evening ended. As most of the vendors sold ice cream and other sweets, such arias came to be known as "sherbet arias" because of what they signified to the audience

(Italian f.) similar to an aria d'entrata, but more often an aria at the conclusion of which the singer makes his or her exit from the stage

Ariadne

(English, German f. from Greek) beautiful daughter of Minos and Pasiphae who fell in love with Theseus and gave him the thread with which he found his way out of the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur who lived there

Ariadnefaden

(German m.) Ariadne's thread

Aria fugata

(Italian f.) an air, the accompaniment of which is written in a fugal style

Arian

pertaining to Arius, a presbyter of the church of Alexandria, in the fourth century, or to the doctrines of Arius

Arianer

(German m.) Arian

arianisch

(German) Arian

Arianism

the doctrines of Arius (4th century) and his followers, denying that Christ is one substance with the Father

Arianismus

(German m.) Arianism

Aria parlante

(Italian f.) a declamatory aria, similar in effect to a recitative

Aria tedesca

(Italian f.) an aria in the German style

Arid

lacking sufficient water or rainfall

arid

(German) arid, dry

aride

(French) arid, dry, barren

Aridez

(Spanish f.) aridity, dryness (also figurative)

Aridità

(Italian f.) aridity, dryness

Aridität

(German f.) aridity, dryness

arido

(Italian) arid, dry

árido (m.), árida (f.)

(Spanish) arid, dry (also figurative)

Áridos

(Spanish m.pl.) dry goods

Arie (s.), Arien (pl.)

(German f.) aria

Arie aggiunte

(Italian f.pl.) supplementary arias, arias that are added to, or introduced from other works into an opera, etc.

(Italian f., diminutive of aria) a short simple aria usually in binary form, not unlike a song or cavatina

Arietta alla Veneziana

(Italian f.) a short air in the style of a Venetian Barcarolle

Ariette (s.), Arietten (German pl.), Ariettes (French pl.)

(German f., French f.) although the name signifies a short aria or arietta (Italian f.), as it was in opera comique, the French gave this name also to long, often animated, vocal compositions called comédie mêlée d'ariettes or comédie mêlée mêl^eacute;e d'ariettes, forms closer to English ballad-opera than to Italian opera, which might includes vocal duets, trios and ensembles

Ariettina

(Italian f., diminutive of arietta) a very short air or melody

Arie und Chor

(German) air and chorus

a rifascio

(Italian) in disorder, in confusion, pell-mell

a rigore di tempo

(Italian) in strict time

Arigot

(French) a fife

Ariñ ariñ

ancient circle dance from Bilbao, in Spain's Basque Country. Men and women who participate in pilgrimages dance it in couples

Ario (m.), Aria (f.)

(Spanish) Aryan

ario (m.), aria (f.)

(Spanish) Aryan

Arion of Methymna

(Greek) (625-585 BC) the son of Cycleus, said to have invented the dithyrambos (choral poems), give it its name and sung it in Corinth according to Herodotus, although it is more probable that it was Archilochus who first mentions a dithyramb as a song to Dionysos

a business, formally owned by Jews, but subsequently run by Aryans, and whose transfer was brought about through coercive measures, particularly following the call in 1933 by the Nazi-led government for a boycott of all goods produced or sold by Jewish merchants

Arisierung

(German f.) Aryanisation

Arista

(Spanish f.) edge, arris, groin, ridge, arête

Aristaeus

see Aristaios

Aristaios

(English, German m. from Greek) or Aristaeus, a minor god in Greek mythology, about whom we read largely through Athenian writers

Aristo

(English, German m.) toff, nob (a person from a superior class, although sometimes used pejoratively or in fun)

(English, German n., from Greek) Athenian dramatist, a noted writer of comedies

aristophanisch

(German) Aristophanic, pertaining to the Greek dramatist Aristophanes

Aristotle(384-222 BC)

Greek philosopher, pupil of Plato

Aristoteles

(German) Aristotle

Aristotelianism

the philosophical ideas of the GReek philosopher Aristotle

Aristoteliker

(German m.) Aristotelian

aristotelisch

(German) Aristotelian

Aristotelismus

(German m.) Aristotelianism

Aristoxenus

Aristoxenus described the various different sizes of intervals in his classification of shades and genera of tetrachord scales. But he never used any mathematics in his theory beyond simple geometric subdivisions of the tone. This was, in fact, the aspect of his music-theory that was distinctively new, a result of the formulation of classic geometry around this time by Euclid. Aristoxenus adamantly maintained that all larger musical intervals could and should be determined soley by ear. Both of these basic tenets were in sharp contrast to Pythagorean theory and other rational harmonic theories

Aristoxenus's theory was forgotten in Western Europe after the Germanic invasions (400s AD), then rediscovered during the Renaissance. The earliest surviving manuscript of his treatise was written in Constantinople [Istanbul] around 1150, so his theory seems to have remained known the whole time in the Greek-speaking areas. When his work was rediscovered by the Italians around 1450, the idea of 12-tone equal-temperament (the ordinary scale in everyday use today) was a topic of much debate, and many theorists who advocated that tuning interpreted Aristoxenus's approximations of small intervals as a justification for it. They were wrong, or at any rate not entirely correct, but the idea has persisted for over 500 years

Zarlino's theory of harmony, Istituzioni harmoniche (1558), is based partly on comparing two sequences, one harmonic or geometric (indicated by the fractions 1/6, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1) and the other arithmetic (indicated by the fractions 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6, 6/6=1). The harmonic sequence (divisio harmonica) produces the natural harmonics and particularly the major triad, while the former (divisio arithmetica) gives the notes of a minor triad

(meaning 'the dance of Arjuna') is a ritual art performed by men and is prevalent in the Bhagavathy temples of Kerala. Arjuna, the most valiant of the five heroic brothers - the Pandavas - of the epic Mahabharatha, was also a renowned singer and dancer and is said to have propitiated goddess Bhadrakaali by a devotional presentation

L'Arlésienne (The Woman of Arles) is a play by Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) for which Georges Bizet (1838-1875) wrote incidental music. Bizet arranged this music as Suite No. 1 which was first published in 1872. Suite No. 2 was compiled by Ernest Guiraud after Bizet's death. Since their debut, both have become popular musical works, often performed by professional orchestras

(English, German m.) arm, upper limb of the human body from the shoulder to the hand (the term is also applied to that part of a garment that would cover the arm and to that part of a chair upon which the arm might be rested)

(Spanish m.) Zarge (German f. s.), Zargen (German f. pl.), Zargenkranz (German), éclisse (French f.), fascia (Italian), rib or side that is bent to shape and then attached to the belly and back of a violin, violoncello, guitar, etc.

(German f.) biblia pauperum (neither a bible nor a book for the poor as its title suggests, it is a medieval picture book that pairs Old and New Testament scenes)

Armenfrage

(German f.) pauperism

Armenfriedhof

(German m.) paupers' field, paupers cemetery

Armenfürsorge

(German f.) poor relief

Armengrab

(German n.) pauper's grave

Armenhaus

(German n.) poor house, almshouse, alms house, workhouse

Armenhilfe

(German f.) relief for the poor, aid for the poor

Armenia

(English, Spanish f.) a landlocked republic in southwestern Asia, formerly an Asian soviet. Modern Armenia is but a fragment of ancient Armenia which was one of the world's oldest civilizations and comprised the Armenian Highland southeast of Black Sea and southwest of Caspian Sea, located between the ancient Roman and Persian empires in southwestern Asia,, an area today divided between Turkey, Republic of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran

Armenian

a native or inhabitant of Armenia

the Indo-European language spoken predominantly in Armenia, but also in Azerbaijan

a writing system having an alphabet of 38 letters in which the Armenian language is written

chant that forms part of the rite used by the Armenian Church. It belongs to the Antiochene family. Originally, the language was Syriac, but it is now ancient Armenian. This rite is used by both Uniats and Gregorians, i.e., those separated from Rome. On Christmas Eve and Easter Eve Mass is celebrated in the evening. The use of curtains screening off, at times, the priest from the people is noteworthy, also the Roman Preparatory prayers and the Last Gospel, both introduced through the influence of Western missionaries

as in other immigrant communities, the exiled Armenians sought to reaffirm their ethnic identity through dance and music. Traditional dancing is still popular among expatriate Armenians, and has also been very successfully `exported' to international folk dance groups and circle dance groups all over the world. Generally, Armenian dances may be broken up into four categories: dances from Eastern Caucasian Armenia, from Western Anatolian Armenia, from Greater Armenia, and diaspora dances. These categories may overlap somewhat, but they give a broad picture of the landscape of Armenian dance[quoted from the information in the reference below which was written by Laura Shannon]

Armenian chant, like Byzantine chant, consists mainly of hymns. The earliest surviving manuscripts with music notation date from the fourteenth century, and use a system of neumes known as Armenian neumes, which seem to use a developed system but which have not been deciphered

Armenien

(German n.) Armenia

Armenier (m.), Armenierin (f.), Armenier (pl.), Armenierinnen (f.pl.)

(German) Armenian

Armenio

(Spanish m.) Armenian (language, alphabet)

Armenio (m.), Armenia (f.)

(Spanish) Armenian

armenio (m.), armenia (f.)

(Spanish) Armenian

Armenisch

(German n.) Armenian

armenisch

(German) Armenian

armenischsprachig

(German) Armenian-speaking

armenischstämmiger Amerikaner

(German m.) Armenian American

Armisticio

(Spanish m.) armistice

Armenkost

(German f.) poor man's food

Armenpfleger

(German m. - archaic) guardian of the poor

Armenrecht

(German n.) poor law

Armenschule

(German f.) charity school

Armenspeisung

(German f.) feeding the poor

Armenspital

(German n.) poor-law infirmary

Armensündermiene

(German f. - Austria) hangdog look

Armenunterstützung

(German f.) pauper relief

Armenviertel

(German n.) poor quarter, poor district, ghetto, slum area

arme Person

(German f.) pauper

Armer (m.), Arme (f.)

(German) poor man/woman, pauper[correct by Michael Zapf]

die Armen, the poor

armer

(French) to wind on (film in camera)

ärmer

(German) poorer, needier

ärmerarmer Bauernjunge

(German m.) peasant boy

armer Bettler

(German m.) poor beggar

armer de

(French) fit with

armer Hund

(German m.) poor fellow

Armería

(Spanish f.) gunsmith's shop, war museum

Arme Ritter

(German pl.) French toast

Armer Junge!

(German) Poor boy!

armer Kerl

(German m.) poor soul, poor bloke (colloquial)

Armer Kerl!

(German) Poor old chap!

armer la clef

(French) to indicate the key by means of the key signature, the sharps and flats placed immediately after the clef

armer Mann

(German m.) poor man

Armero

(Spanish m.) gunsmith

armer Schlingel

(German m.) poor wretch

armer Schlucker

(German m.) poor fellow, poor devil

armer Sünder (m.), arme Sünderin (f.)

(German) poor sinner

armer Teufel

(German m.) poor devil, poor wretch

armer Tropf

(German m.) poor devil

armes Bauernkind

(German n.) peasant child

armes Bauernmädchen

(German n.) peasant girl

armes Ding

(German n.) poor thing (a person)

arme Seele

(German f.) poor soul

armes Hühnchen

(German n.) lame duck (figurative)

armes Luder

(German n.) poor creature

armes Schwein

(German n.) poor wretch (colloquial)

armes Wesen

(German n.) wretch

armes Würstchen

(German n.) poor devil

Armesündergesicht

(German n.) hangdog look

Armesünderglocke

(German f.) executioner's bell

Armesündermiene

(German f.) hangdog look

Armesünderstuhl

(German m.) cutty stool (the stool of repentance in a church for the purpose of humiliating those who'd broken the rules, such as adulterers)

Arme wie Pudding haben

(German) to have arms like jelly

arm gemacht

(German) pauperised, impoverished (made poor)

Armgewicht

(German n.) weight of the arm

Armgriff

(German m.) arm grip

Armi

(Italian f. pl.) armed forces

Armida, The Gardens of

named for the enchantress in Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, a synonym for gorgeous luxury

an old astronomical model with solid rings, all circles of a single sphere, used to display relationships among the principal planets and the sun

arm im Geiste

(German) poor in spirit

Arm in Arm

(German) arm in arm, with arms linked

Arm in arm

with one arm interlinked with the arm of a person beside one

Arminian

a follower of the theology of the Dutch pastor and theologian Jacobus Arminius (c.1559-1609) (born Jacob Harmenszoon in Oudewater near Utrecht), who rejected the Calvinist doctrines of predestination and election and who believed that human free will is compatible with God's sovereignty

Arminianer

(German m.) Arminian

Arminianism

a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609)[1] and his historic followers, the Remonstrants. The doctrines' acceptance stretches through much of mainstream, evangelical Protestantism

a people who, in the Middle Ages, created semi-autonomous states on the territory of modern Greece, particularly in Great Wallachia, Small Wallachia and Upper Wallachia. Aromanians played an important role in the independence wars (against the Ottoman Empire) of Bulgaria, Albania and Greece. In 1905, the Aromanians were acknowledged as a separate nation (millet) of the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of Communism, the Aromanian nation formed its own cultural and political societies in the Balkans and started its new national re-awakening

Aromaöl

(German n.) aromatic oil

Aromastoff

(German m.) flavouring agent, flavouring, aromatic

Aromat (s.), Aromaten (pl.)

(German m.) aromatic compound

Aromate (s.), Aromates (pl.)

(French n.) herb, spice

Aromaterapia

(Spanish f.) aromatherapy

Aromatherapeut (m.), Aromatherapeutin (f.)

(German) aromatherapist

Aromatherapie

(German f.) aromatherapy

aromatico

(Italian) aromatic

aromático (m.), aromática (f.)

(Spanish) aromatic

aromatique

(French) aromatic

aromatisch

(German) aromatic, aromatically

aromatische Pflanze

(German f.) aromatic plant

aromatischer

(German) more aromatic

aromatischer Geschmacksstoff

(German m.) flavour

aromatischer Wohlgeruch

(German m.) balsamic odour

aromatisches Kraut

(German n.) aromatic herb

aromatischste

(German) most aromatic

aromatisé

(French) flavoured

aromatisiert

(German) flavoured

aromatisierte

(German) flavoured

aromatizar

(Spanish) to perfume, to flavour (culinary)

Aromatizität

(German f.) aromaticity

Arôme

(French m.) aroma

Aromi

(Italian m. pl.) herbs

Aromunent

(German pl.) Aromanians

äronautischt

(German) aeronautical

Aroniat

(German f.) chokeberry

Aronssche Röhret

(German f.) mercury-vapor lamp

Arosa

a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland

Arosert

(German m.) inhabitant of Arosa

Ärosolt

(German n.) aerosol

a roso y velloso

(Spanish) without exception

a rostro firme

(Spanish) boldly, resolutely

Arousal compatibility preference

listeners tend to prefer music that matches their pre-existing arousal level. When asleep, for example, most people have a low tolerance for music, especially when the music has a high level of stimulation. Conversely, when in a highly aroused state, most listeners find sedate music to be uninteresting or inappropriate. When engaged in aerobic exercise, for example, listeners show a strong aversion against sedate music - even if the tempo of the music matches the pace of the workout. With increasing age, people often show an increased preference for sedate music

arp.

abbreviation of arpeggio

Arpa

(Italian f., Spanish f.) harp, Harfe (German f.), harpe (French f.)

in Spanish, arpa is a feminine noun taking the masculine article in the singular

(Spanish f.) the Spanish cross-strung harp which was popular in the seventeenth century. It had light-tension gut strings, and was played with the right hand (treble strings) very close to the neck and the left hand (bass strings) very close to the middle of the strings, because its strings crossed at about one-quarter of the string's length below the neck. It was most commonly used as a chapel instrument, and it was shaped much like the modern Paraguayan harp

(French) an ornament that marks that a chord should be arpeggiated from the bottom note upwards

arpègement descendu

(French) an ornament that marks that a chord should be arpeggiated from the top note downwards

arpègement en descendant

(French) descending arpeggio

arpègement en montant

(French) ascending arpeggio

arpègement figurait

(French) or acciaccatura, an ornament that marks that a chord should be arpeggiated, sometimes with the addition of unwritten notes although these are not held

arpègement figuré

(French) or acciaccatura, an ornament that marks that a chord should be arpeggiated, sometimes with the addition of unwritten notes although these are not held

arpèger

(French) to arpeggiate a chord, to perform arpeggios

arpeggiamento

(Italian) to play the notes of a chord quickly, one after the other in imitation of a harp

arpeggiando

(Italian, literally 'harping') to arpeggiate successive chords, for example on a string instrument by employing a bouncing bowstroke on broken chords

arpeggiare

(Italian, literally 'harping') to arpeggiate successive chords, for example on a string instrument by employing a bouncing bowstroke on broken chords

Arpeggiation

arpègement (French), Brechung (German)

arpeggiato

(Italian, literally 'harping') to arpeggiate successive chords, for example on a string instrument by employing a bouncing bowstroke on broken chords

a way of playing a chord - starting with the lowest note, and with successively higher notes rapidly joining in or in reverse, starting with the highest note with successively lower notes rapidly joining in

Arpeggiator

(English, German m.) a device for playing arpeggiated sequences automatically

(German n., Italian m., from the Italian meaning 'in the manner of a harp') a spread chord played from the top down or from the bottom up

in the first half of the eighteenth century, the marking arpeggio is sometimes found at the beginning of a sequence of chords, in which case the performer is at liberty, if he or she so chooses, to play the chords broken, both up and down

(English, German m., Italian) developed in 1823 by the Viennese guitar luthier Johann Georg Staufer (1778-1853), the arpeggione (also known as the bowed guitar/bogen-guitarre, guitarre d'amour, and guitarre-violoncell) was a bowed, six-stringed, fretted instrument, which was tuned exactly like a classical guitar. Its body shape was also similar to a guitar, with smooth rather than pointed violin corners. Because the instrument lacked an endpin, it was held between the knees like a viola da gamba

The Modern-Arpeggione is a string instrument built by Dr. Osamu Okumura. It is an acoustic, upright -fretted, seven string instrument tuned from a bass G up to E (semitone below the high E on a guitar). The body is larger than an acoustic guitar, with an arched fingerboard and bridge for bowing or picking

or broken style, where the notes of the chord are written or played one after another

Arpegi

(Catalan m.) arpeggio

arpegiar

(Spanish) to arpeggiate a chord

Arpegio

(Spanish m.) arpeggio

arpenter

(French) to pace up and down, to survey

Arpenteur

(French m.) surveyor

Arpía

(Spanish f.) harpy, hag (figurative), old witch, old hag

Arpichordum

a stop similar to a buff stop except that the strings are touched by metal pins, producing a buzzing sound

Arpicordo

from the sixteenth century, an Italian name for the harpsichord

Arpillera

(Spanish f.) sackcloth, sack-cloth, hessian, burlap, sacking

Arpinella

(Italian f.) a psaltery, a small harp

Arpista

(Italian m./f., Spanish m./f.) harpist

arpo

abbreviation of arpeggio

Arpón

(Spanish m.) harpoon

arponar

(Spanish) to harpoon

arponear

(Spanish) to harpoon

Arpón submarino

(Spanish m.) speargun

Arpsichord

an archaic spelling of 'harpsichord'

Arqué

(French, literally 'arched' or 'bandy') it is a common fallacy to-day that the most beautiful legs are perfectly straight; hence the detrimental use of the terms arqué (bow-legged) and jarreté (knock-kneed). However, the study of anatomy will quickly convince one that Noverre's division of the adult human physique into these two categories is correct, as absolutely straight legs are so rare as to require no special term. Generally children are very knock-kneed, but if they become powerful and tightly-knit as adults the muscles of the leg will make the bones set so that when the feet are together and parallel a gap is seen between the knees. This is not a malformation to be remedied, any more than is its opposite; but merely evidence of a powerful physique, common among boxers and sprinters, possessing certain advantages and drawbacks which it is futile to attempt to alter. The arque dancer is remarkable for her power and ballon, and best expresses herself in movement, not in pose. Because she is tightly knit her extensions are never very high; loosening and stretching exercises only lessen her natural abilities and make her a straining copy of the jerrete type of dancer, who is remarkable for the elegant clarity of her movement and the beauty of her positions. This difference in physique is as great as the vocal difference between a soprano and a contralto; the singing teacher who attempted to make all students sing in the same register irrespective of voice would find few pupils, yet this is continually attempted in the ballet world thought it would be more sensible to make the most of the contrast

(Spanish) to uproot, to pull up (plant), to pull out (tooth), to extract (tooth, confession), to tear out (page), to tear off (sheet of paper), to pull off (button), to pick (flower), to snatch (bag), to start (car, motor)

le arrancó el bolso (Spanish: he snatched her bag)

no había manera de arrancar a Juan de allí (Spanish: it was impossible to pull Juan away)

estábamos tan tranquilos y de repente arrancó a llorar (Spanish: everything was quiet when he suddenly started crying)

arrancar a llorar

(Spanish) to start to cry

arrancar de raíz

(Spanish) to pull up by the roots, to uproot

arrancarse

(Spanish) to pull out, to pull off, to run away (Chile: familiar)

Arrange

to set a work originally written for one instrument (or set of instruments) for another instrument or set of instruments

arrangé

(French) arranged

arrangeant (m.), arrangeante (f.)

(French) obliging

Arrangement (s.), Arrangements (pl.)

(English, German n.) reduzione (Italian), reduction (French)

(German n.), disposition, blocking

(English, German n., Dutch, French m.) the adaptation of a work originally written for one instrument (or set of instruments) for another instrument or set of instruments, but in a way that is more sophisticated than a simple transcription

a work that has been so arranged

in jazz or studio settings, 'arranging' is most commonly used to describe the process that is generally called orchestration, adaptation, setting, etc. while an arrangement is a set of instructions that indicate the way various sections or components (for example, intro, head, accompaniment, solos, interludes, coda, etc.) should interrelate

Johann Sebastian Bach's arrangement of Palestrina's Missa sine nomine reflects many of the practices of the eighteenth century. Instruments were added, playing colla parte, and a basso continuo realized for the lowest part. Sometimes a new basso continuo part was created, independent of the voice parts. The use of the breve as tactus was not understood. The original notation was not halved to retain the tactus; rather, the bars (measures) themselves were cut in half. Text underlay was altered to keep melismas to a minimum and to make declamation conform to the meter, especially in the bass. The use of accidentals and leading tones emphasized tonality but destroyed the cross-relations and major-minor shifts characteristic of sixteenth-century music. Bach, however, did not always alter the older model, but tried as much as he could to internalize the old Palestrina style

(Spanish) to arrange (also music), to tidy up, to sort out, to settle (argument), to fix up, to mend, to repair (road), to fix, to do, to decorate, to arrange (flowers), to rearrange (also music), to alter (costume, skirt, etc.), to straighten up, to tidy up, to do up (colloquial)

(Italian) also arricciatura or arriccio, the layer of rough plaster beneath the intonanco on which a fresco is painted, although strictly the arricciato is the term for the wall after the application of the arricciatura

(Spanish) to throw, to fling, to drop, to give off (emit), to spew out (lava), to belch out (smoke), to shed (light), to throw out, to produce (result), to show (result), to be sick (Latin America: vomit), to bring up (vomit), to throw up (vomit)

(English, German f., from the Latin) terms originating from the 12th- to 14th-centuries:

ars antiqua, ars vetus

the older twelfth-century Paris style characterised by triple meter, a term used later in early fourteenth-century French theoretical writings specifically for music from the period c.1170 to c.1310 most of it by composers whose names we do not know. This period is sometimes divided into two rough periods, known as the early Gothic and the high Gothic. The early Gothic includes the French music composed in the Notre Dame school up until about 1260, and the high Gothic all the music between then and about 1310 or 1320, the conventional beginning of the ars nova. The forms of organum and conductus reached their peak development in the early Gothic, and began to decline in the high Gothic, being replaced by clausulae and motets. Conservative opinion, represented by Jacques of Liège, writing in his Speculum musicae (c.1320), mourned the loss of the ars antiqua calling it the musica modesta, while the ars nova, then also called ars modernorum, was a musica lasciva - a kind of music which he considered to be indulgent, capricious, immodest, and sensual

ars nova

(literally 'new art') specifically the period 1310 to 1375, to include the newer, freer Florentine school (Italian Ars nova). The term was used in the 1319 treatise Ars nova by Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361). Ars nova flowered fully in the Italian madrigal of the following centuries characterised by duple and triple meter and some use of isorhythm. Strictly, the term Ars nova applies only to French music (French Ars nova) but is commonly used for all fourteenth-century music from the Roman de Fauvel onwards. In the writings of Marchettus de Padua, Pomerium de musica mensurata (1318), and Jean de Mauris, Ars Novae Musicae (1319), we find described respectively the Italian and French notational systems, the former short lived, the latter going on to form the basis of our modern notational system. The term Italian ars nova is sometimes applied to the music of of Francesco Landini or Landino (c.1325-1397) and his compatriots

ars subtilor

a modern term applied to music from late fourteenth and early fifteenth century, limited in geographical distribution (southern France, Aragon and later Cyprus), and clearly intended for performance by specialists for an audience of connoisseurs, characterised by intricate rhythms and unusual harmonies. Many consider it to be a late development of ars nova rather than a distinct school of its own

written by a German theorist, Franco of Cologne (fl. mid-thirteenth century), Ars Cantus Mensurabilis was the first to describe a system of notation in which differently shaped notes have entirely different rhythmic values

Arschgeweih

(German n.) lower back tattoo

ARSCM

abbreviated for 'Associate of the Royal School of Church Music'

Ars dictaminis

(Latin, the 'art of dictamen') in the medieval period, the art or discipline, rigorously codified, of composition employed by a professional secretary for writing formal prose drafted by kings, princes, popes, senior officials, etc. Among the earliest manuals of the dictamen is that of Alberico of Monte Cassino (1030-1100) (Albericus Cassinensis) entitled De dictamine

(Latin) a term applied in the writing of canon for imitation of a weak part (arsis) by a strong beat (thesis), and also for imitation by inversion. In fugal writing, the answer to the subject is made by contrary motion

Arsis (s.), Arses (pl.)

(English, German f., from Greek, 'lifting') as in arsis and thesis, respectively 'unstressed upbeats' and 'stressed downbeats'. The terms originated in descriptions of Ancient Greek dance, where the arsis and thesis were respectively the raising and lowering of the dancer's foot

(Dutch) weak beat

up-stroke, when conducting or beating time

in classical metrical analysis, Greeks referred to the stressed syllable in a metrical foot as a thesis, and the unstressed syllable in a metrical foot as an arsis. Unfortunately, the Roman analysts used the exact opposite terminology, with the thesis being their unstressed foot and the arsis being the stressed foot

polyphonic music of the later Middle Ages that displaced the earlier organum

see ars antiqua

Arspenger

(Norwegian) subscription

Arsskrift

(Norwegian) yearbook

Ars subtilor

a musical style characterized by rhythmic and notational complexity, centered around Avignon in southern France, at the end of the fourteenth century. Thus it was right at the dividing-line between the musical Middle Ages and Renaissance. Often the term is used in contrast with ars nova, which applies to the musical style of the preceding period from about 1310 to about 1370; though some scholars prefer to consider the ars subtilior a subcategory of the earlier style

(English, French m.) in its broadest sense, all the processes and products of human skill, imagination and invention

Art-

as a suffix, for example, 'art-pop', 'art-punk' and 'art-metal', is applied to various post-modern trends in popular music. The prefix 'art-' indicates a re-appropriation and subversion of the original (now mainstream) genre. The outcome is a genre which although appearing similar to the mainstream form has now become 'alternative'

(German f.) adverb of manner (adverb that says how something happens or is done - examples include happily, angrily)

Artaschat

(German n.) Artashat (a city on the Araks River in the Ararat valley)

Art autre

(French m.) coined in a book published in 1952 by French writer and critic Michel Tapié to describe the kind of art many intellectuals and artists deemed appropriate to the turbulent mood of France immediately after World War II, for example, tachisme, or action painting, works of art in which pigment is spilled, poured or smeared on to the picture-surface

Art ballad

two types of ballads often studied in literature courses are literary ballads and folk ballads. A literary ballad (also known as 'art ballad') is a poem written in imitation of the folk ballad form; the author is most often a known professional poet. Some examples are John Keats's La Belle Dame sans Merci and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. A folk ballad is "a short, traditional, impersonal narrative told in song, transmitted orally from generation to generation, marked by its own peculiar structure and rhetoric, and uninfluenced by literary conventions" (Holman, A Handbook to Literature)

in music, a term synonymous with 'vocal Ballade', a work for voice and piano with a text derived from English ballads. The most prolific writer of 'vocal Ballade' is Carl Loewe (1796-1869) who published fifteen volumes of Balladen

(English, German m./n., from French m.) or Art Deco, decorative art style of the period 1910-30. Its basic elements could be seen in work dating back to 1910, but it wasn't until the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes held in Paris in 1925 that it received international attention. Afterwards this style began to be widely implemented especially in architecture. Its projection of luxury and affluence made it popular with a population emerging from the austere years of and immediately following World War One. Though influenced by modern art movements, its designs were often based on classical motifs borrowed from ancient Egypt, Persia, and Native Americans, that were then reduced to highly stylised geometries. The style utilised strong symmetrical and very flat ornamentation such as sharp zigzags, rounded corners, stripes and simple sweeping curves. The term Art Deco was never used while the style was in fashion. Among its many descriptions it was most often referred to as Style Moderne. The British art critic Bevis Hillier coined the term Art Deco during its 1960s revival

Art-Deco-

(German) art deco (prefix)

Art-Deco-Distrikt

(German m.) art deco district

Art-Deco-Stil

(German m.) art deco (style)

Art de l'archet

(French m.) art of bowing

Art der Anfrage

(German f.) nature of an inquiry

Art der Berechnung

(German f.) mode of calculation

Art der beruflichen Tätigkeit

(German f.) kind of occupation

Art der Bezahlung

(German f.) payment type

Art der Fertigung

(German f.) type of production

Art der Geschäftsführung

(German f.) manner of conducting business

Art der gewünschten Ware

(German f.) kind of goods required

Art der Lautbildung

(German f.) manner of articulation

Art der Lebensversicherung

(German f.) type of assurance

Art der Nutzung

(German f.) type of use

Art der Tätigkeit

(German f.) kind of activity, type of work, type of job, type of activity, kind of work, kind of job

Art der Verehrung

(German f.) form of worship

Art der Vereinbarung

(German f.) type of agreement

Art der Vergütung

(German f.) method of reimbursement

Art der verlangten Versicherung

(German f.) type of insurance required

Art der Verrechnung

(German f.) method of settlement

Art der Ware

(German f.) kind of merchandise, kind of good, nature of the goods

Art des Artikels

(German f.) type of product

Art des Einkommens

(German f.) kind of income

Art des Gegebenseins

(German f.) mode of presentation

Art des Geschäfts

(German f.) nature of transaction, nature of the business, kind of business, type of business

(English, German n., from Russian) Arbeitergenossenschaft (German f.), a cooperative of workers

Artemis

(English, German f.) Greek god of marriage, chastity, hunting, and moonlight, twin sister of Apollo, daughter of Zeus and Leto

Artenanzahl

(German f.) number of species

artenarm

(German) species-poor

Artenbildung

(German f.) speciation

Artendiversität

(German f.) species diversity

Art engagé

(French m.) artistic activities undertaken with a political or sociological purpose, following the ideas of Theodor Adorno who argued that there is no un-political art, for there is no outside of society

artenreich

(German) rich in species, species-rich

Artenschutz

(German m.) species conservation, protection of species

Artenschutzabkommen

(German n.) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), wildlife conservation programme

(Italian, literally 'impoverished art' or 'poor art') a term introduced by Germano Celant as a label for a small group of artists who were experimenting with nontraditional and politically charged art, and in particular modes of expression such as ephemeral art, performance art, installation art and assemblage. These techniques have since become extremely common tools in contemporary art; in fact this is one of the reasons that such a small and short-lived movement continues to have such relevance today. One of the clearest influences on the group is Marcel Duchamp, who could be considered the founder of 'conceptual art'

arteramente

(Spanish) artfully

Alteration

in printing, those changes in copy or specifications after production has begun, and for which the client is most likely to be charged extra

arterhaltend

(German) species-preserving

Arterhaltung

(German f.) conservation of the species

Arteria

(Spanish f.) artery, main road (also figurative), highway

Artería

(Spanish f.) cunning

Arterial

of or pertaining to an artery

arterial

(Spanish) arterial

Arterie (s.), Arterien (pl.)

(German f.) artery (blood vessel)

arteriell

(German) arterial, arterially

Arterienerweiterung

(German f.) aneurysm

arterienverkalkend

(German) arteriosclerotic

Arterienverkalkung

(German f.) arteriosclerosis

Arterienverstopfung

(German f.) artery blockage

Arteriografie

(German f.) arteriography

arteriografisch

(German) arteriographic, arteriographically, arteriographical

Arteriogram

an x-ray of the arteries and veins to detect blockage or narrowing of the vessels

Arteriogramm

(German n.) arteriogram

Arteriographie

(German f.) arteriography

arteriographisch

(German) arteriographic, arteriographical, arteriographically

Arteriography

an x-ray opaque dye injected into the blood stream to study arteries (usually coronary) for damage

Arteriole

(English, German f.) a tiny artery, especially a terminal artery continuous with the capillary network

Arteriosclerosis

loss of elasticity and thickening of artery walls, especially in old age

a well tapping a confined aquifer (water in the well rises above the top of the aquifer under artesian pressure, but does not necessarily reach the surface)

artesisch

(German) artesian

artesischer Brunnen

(German m.) artesian well

Artesonado

(Spanish m.) coffered ceiling

Artes visuales

(Spanish f.pl.) visual arts

Art for art's sake

the phrase "art for art's sake" expresses both a battle cry and a creed; it is an appeal to emotion as well as to mind. Time after time, when artists have felt themselves threatened from one direction or another, and have had to justify themselves and their activities, they have done this by insisting that art serves no ulterior purposes but is purely an end in itself. When asked what art is good for, in the sense of what utility it has, they have replied that art is not something to be used as a means to something else, but simply to be accepted and enjoyed on its own terms

a technique is characteristic of early organ music up to Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

a type of organ stop that has a clear attack point or chiff

Articulated legato

synonymous with portato, noted as a series of notes bearing staccato dots under a slur

Articulatie

(Dutch) articulation

Articulating

articolando (Italian), artikulierend (German), en articulant (French)

expressing (clearly or fluently) in speech, speaking

Articulation

(English, French f.) speaking, being spoken, speech, joint (anatomy), (in dentistry) the relationship of cusps of teeth during jaw movement

when considering speech, articulation is said to be good then speech is clear and coherent. Poor articulation is often associated with mispronunciation or a tendency to mumble

(English, French f.) in music, the way notes are joined to one another when forming a musical line, e.g. staccato, legato, tenuto, glissando, slur, phrase mark, accents, sforzandos, rinforzandos, etc.

woodwind articulation:

legato

usually marked by a slur, the first note only will be tongued and the remainder of the phrase in play under a continuous stream of breath

soft or tongued legato

every note is lightly tongued, with a softer syllable (du instead of tu)

staccato

notes played half their written length, every note started and stopped by the tongue

double tonguing

fast alternating syllables, usually tu and ku

triple tonguing

like double tonguing but alternating tu, ku and tu

flutter tongue

a vibration of the tongue, as if rolling the syllable rrrr

vocalisation

an extended technique where the performer 'hums' a note at the same time as he or she plays on the instrument

Irish whistle/pipe ornamentation/articulation:

tonguing

rarely any note but the first is tongued, when a player briefly touches his or her tongue to the front of the roof of their mouth, creating a percussive attack

cut

the brief lifting of a finger when playing a new note, but without interrupting the air flow, the resultant brief change in pitch providing an accent

roll

a combination of cut and strike

strike or tap

like a cut only a finger is briefly lowered

slide

similar to a portamento, where the player plays a note above or below that intended and then shifts the pitch gradually up the the note intended

plucked string articulation:

pick articulation

'push' (down stroke) and 'pull' (up stroke)

slurring

'hammer on' and 'hammer off'

glissandi or slides

most common on slide- or fretless guitars

bowed string articulation:

on-the-string bowings

detaché

separate bows for each note but notes played seamlessly. This type of bowing is used when there are no slur markings over the notes

legato

player plays smoothly according to bowings indicated by the slur marks

martelé (French)martellato (Italian)

notes are played with accented force, literally "hammered"

marcato (Italian)

heavy, separate strokes with a pressed accent played near the heel

louré (French)portato (Italian)piqué (French)

bow motion is legato, but with slight separation of the notes. It is performed with several notes in one bow direction, each note receiving a gentle "push" to separate it

staccato (each note is separated)

separate bow : notes are played separated and with separate bows for each note

slurred : consecutive notes are played separated, but with one bow direction

off-the-string bowings

spiccato (Italian)saltando (Italian)

deliberate : usually in slow passages, player bounces the bow in a deliberate manner to give an interesting effect

spontaneous (sautillé) : the speed of the passage causes the player to instinctively create a bouncing motion with the bow; sometimes described as "an uncontrolled spiccato"

slurred spiccato (staccato volante, flying staccato) : similar to slurred staccato except that the bow bounces on the string to create the separation of the pitches; instead of reversing direction for each note as in ordinary spiccato, the bow picks up a series of short notes, usually on an up-bow

jeté (French)ricochet (French)volante (Italian)

the bouncing motion of the bow creates 2 to 6 or even more rapid notes. This is usually with a downward bow motion, but up-bows are occasionally used as well. The cello and double bass can only execute about 3 consecutive notes, maybe 4, because of the shorter bow that is used

played with the four fingers near the border of the drum head, producing a clear sound

muffled tone

like the open tone, is made by striking the drum with the four fingers, but holding the fingers against the head to muffle the tone

bass tone

played with the full palm on the head, producing a low muted sound

slap

most difficult technique producing a loud clear "popping" sound

touch

as implied by the name, this tone is produced by just touching the fingers or heel of the palm to the drum head

in singing, the enunciation of the words in order to convey them clearly to the audience, over and above the shaped musical line:

general comment

various things affect the articulation of singers, the primary culprits being tension and natural physical problems. Tension affects every vocal performance. The vocal cords, which are muscles, and the muscles of the jaw, lips, inner mouth etc. tighten resulting in poor tonal quality and articulation. Certain speech habits also affect articulation. One common problem involves singers dropping or not emphasising certain letters at the end of certain lines. They may, for example, not emphasise a "V" when singing the word "love" or the "T" sound on the word "didn't." These are only two of thousands of possibilities. Another articulation problem may be substituting an "H" in words with soft vowel sounds - for example, the word "you" will become "you hoo hoo," or the word "me" may become "me hee hee," or the "fly" becomes "fly hi hi." There may be a physical problem which would cause poor articulation as well. A lisp is a major problem for a singer, especially in the recording studio where sensitive microphones pick up every nuance[entry taken from Taking Care of Your Voice - The Most Common Problems Of Singers]

accompanied vocal music

there needs to be greater emphasis on consonants so that words are understandable to the audience over the accompanying instrumental background

a cappella singing

because there is nothing to sustain the momentum of the sound and the message of the song when a major break occurs, if a cappella singers over-articulate, the consonants will stop the tone flow completely and there are "white spaces". For this reason a cappella singers place their consonants over an underlying 'continuous tone flow'. Although most consonants cannot be produced on a pitch, there are a few that can, such as M, N, L and V. These are called voiced or singable consonants. It is important in a cappella articulation to sing through the voiced consonants. These singable consonants also affect pitch; the vowel that follows will always be flat if the preceding singable consonant is under pitch. For this reason consonants must be thought on the same pitch as the vowel they precede, to prevent the tonal attack from being scooped or flat; consonants should be articulated distinctly, freely and flexibly, rapidly, and as naturally and plainly as in dramatic speech; the proper sound of each consonant must be articulated (do not substitute one for another); make vowels long, consonants short (do not shorten the complete rhythmic length of the vowel by anticipating the ending consonant)[entry extracted from Articulation: Creating Words that Communicate]

on a stringed instrument, when as the string is stopped normally (which stopping will be shown with a standard notehead sign), the little finger then touches lightly at a point above the stopped note (which will be shown with a diamond-shaped notehead). If the sounding note is also to be indicated it will be placed above the other two signs, in cue size and in parentheses. Such notes are known as 'flageolet tones' and flag. may be written over the note when this effect is required. It is possible to add vibrato and to play melodic lines in artificial harmonics, but both techniques should be used with care

there is a lack of consistency in the use of the terms 'natural harmonics' and 'artifical harmonics'. Many writers distinguish between the harmonics present in any note, the contribution of which gives a note its particular character (which they call 'natural' because to some degree they are a feature of any note and are therefore part of the 'nature of the note'), and those which have to be produced by the intervention of the performer (for example, by the careful placing of a finger on a vibrating string, in order to stiffle particular harmonics while allowing the presence of others, thereby causing a change in the pitch of the resultant note), which they term 'artificial' because the string is no longer vibrating in its natural modes. Other writers make no distinction and use both terms synonymously.

Artificial intelligence

the use of computers to undertake tasks usually thought of as requiring human intelligence

Artificial language

not to be confused with what linguists call grammatically synthetic (inflected) languages, artificial languages are deliberately "made up" by a small number of individuals for some specific purpose rather than developing naturally over a period of centuries

(French) the architect of (figurative: the person who makes something happen)

Artischocke (s.), Artischocken (pl.)

(German f.) artichoke, globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus)

Artischockenherzen

(German pl.) artichoke hearts

Artischockensuppe

(German f.) artichoke soup

Artist

the Oxford English Dictionary definition of "artist" includes the words "one who makes his craft a fine art". The distinction between craftsmen and artists is applicable to musicians and dancers; for the expert craftsman of the art of performance may not have the intellectual approach by which to transform his craft into fine art, nor may he be interested in so doing. There is a vast difference between the performer who treats technique as an end in itself, and one who uses his or her technical equipment, such as it may be, with artistry: for example, the dancer who controls her movements to make them uniformly soft, or clear and precise throughout, or to give each step its own different character: or the musician who uses phrasing to underline the dramatic character of the music. There are infinite ways in which musicians and dancers can show artistry, and when labelling a performer "a great artist" some qualification of the statement is necessary

or 'A & R', the record label department in charge of finding, developing, and signing new bands or artists

Artiste

(English) a public, usually professional performer, the term being applied particularly to singers or dancers

(French m./f.) artist, performer

Artiste lyrique

(French m./f.) opera singer

artisticamente

(Spanish) artistically

artistico

(Italian) artistic

artístico (m.), artística (f.)

(Spanish) artistic

artistisch

(German) artistic, artistically

Artist-scribe

a craftsman who has both transcribed and illustrated manuscripts

Artium baccalaureus

(Latin) Bachelor of Arts, BA

Artium magister

(Latin) Master of Arts, MA

Artjom

(German n.) Artyom (a town in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated in the northern part of the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula)

Artkonstanz

(German f.) fixity of species

Artless

guileless, ingenuous, natural, clumsy

artmäßig

(German) generic

Art moderne

(French m.) modern art, a term that is applied generally to works of the avante-garde

Art nouveau

(German n, from French m., literally 'new art') a major decorative art movement centered in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. While the term Art Nouveau was first associated with the symbolist-influenced Belgian artists of Les XX in 1884, the name Art Nouveau as a decorative style was derived from the name of a Parisian shop, Maison de l'art nouveau, which promoted this type of work. As the movement spread it became known as Jugendstil in Germany, Sezessionstil in Austria, and Modernismo in Spain. Its progressive designs were first glimmered in the 1880s rising out from the English Arts & Crafts movement. It came about as a reaction against years of historical and moral emphasis on art. After its exposure at the Universal Exposition of 1900 in Paris, and the 1902 Exposition in Turin, Italy, its popularity quickly grew. Though heavily influenced by Japonisme, the English Pre-Raphaelites, and Symbolist painters, Art Nouveau was more consistent in style. It emphasised dynamic and flowing curves inspired by the natural forms in nature from such unconventional items as insects and seaweed. The style was richly ornamental and asymmetrical. This imbued many of the objects that carried this design with a living growing presence. It was widely used in design on everything from jewellery to furniture to glassware. It was also applied to architecture where it often incorporated modern technology, producing wildly cast iron and glass. Art Nouveau was too closely associated with the ideals and class that carried the world into a disastrous war, and the style faded away as the new forms of decorative modernism took its place

Arto

(Italian m.) limb, joint, member (anatomy)

Art of Fugue

Die Kunst der Fuge BWV 1080 (c.1745-1750) is Bach's final systematic collection of fugues and canons. It has been preserved in two versions, the second (printed after Bach's death) containing revisions and additions by the composer. The enlarged version comprises four simple fugues, two regular subject, and two inverted subject (all for four voices); three counter fugues (all for four voices), in which the subject is paired with an inverted answer; two double fugues (both for four voices); two triple fugues (one for three voices, one for four); four canons (all for tw voices); three mirror fugues (one for three voices, two for four), each illustrating both melodic and contrapuntal inversions; and an incomplete quadruple fugue (in which the third subject is the BACH motive, but which is missing its final section, which undoubtedly would have combined the various themes from the surviving sections). Each fugue (actually called a contrapunctus by Bach) uses the same subject, or a variation of that subject. Bach was fascinated with the number 14 as the sum of the ordinal values of the letters of his name (B+A+C+H)

in 1913, Luigi Russolo, avowed Futurist, wrote L'Arte dei Rumori (The Art of Noise), a manifesto declaring that noise would revolutionize the concert hall. He said, "All this will naturally make music-lovers scream ..."

these terms combined represent an inevitable post-modern trend in popular music. The prefix "Art-" indicates a re-appropriation and subversion of the original (now mainstream) genre. The outcome is a genre which although appearing similar to the mainstream form has now become "alternative"

a sub-genre of rock music that is characterized by ambitious lyrical themes and melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic experimentation, often extending beyond standard pop song forms and toward influences in jazz, classical, or the avant-garde

less often written 'Arts and Crafts Movement', the Arts & Crafts Movement developed in nineteenth-century Britain as a rebellion against the fashion for inventive sham and over-elaborate design and as an attempt to reverse the growing dehumanisation of work in society. It borrowed heavily from pre-industrialized times, especially from Medieval, Islamic, and Japanese design. Botanical subjects were the most popular motif often yielding designs that were multifaceted yet incorporated a simple elegance. In the face of declining rural handicrafts and a rising industrial society, John Ruskin and other writers began to call for changes. They believed a moral society depended on the skilled workers that produced creative products, not soulless objects from a machine. Young London-based architects were inspired by the ideas of John Ruskin and William Morris. They founded the Art Workers' Guild in 1884 to break down barriers between architects, artists, designers and makers. The term 'Arts & Crafts' was first used at the suggestion of the bookbinder T J Cobden-Sanderson for its offshoot, the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society, set up in 1888. The United States imported many of these ideas from Britain forming an American craft movement centred in Northern California and New York State. Native design such as the Shaker Style gave the work produced in America a simpler cleaner look. The works of the Stickley Style, Bungalow Style, Prairie Style, and Shingle Style all fall within the American Arts & Crafts Movement. While in Europe this design style evolved toward Art Nouveau, the many looks of Arts & Crafts in the United States held on to their popularity and largely remained unchanged. The style continues to be influential today. Design movements expressing similar ideas also rose independently at the same time in Russia

text, graphic and illustrations arranged individually or in any combination for subsequent printing. Artwork may conventionally be drawn in black and white on suitable artpaper or board; or may be computer-originated, in which case it may be supplied as digitised data on a floppy disk or other means of electronic data. Artwork may also be in the form of a full-colour drawing or picture which requires specialist reprographic colour separation. This enables the separation to be printed in the four basic printing process colours (cyan, magenta, yellow and black)

Art zu arbeiten

(German f.) way of working

Art zu denken

(German f.) way of thinking

Art zu gehen

(German f.) way of walking

Art zu reden

(German f.) manner of speaking

Aruba

(English, German n.) an island of the Netherlands Antilles north of the Venezuela coast